My Eco footprint is a size 8, too.

My eco footprint results showed that if everyone lived like I do, we would need 4.03 Earths to sustain ourselves! Wow… I suppose I expected my consumption to be on the high end, but put into terms like that, it hits a little harder somehow. 

The area that contributes most to my footprint is my food consumption; I was above the national average in this area. I think this is because I answered that I shop mostly at supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants. I do weekly shopping at Fred Meyer, one trip to Costco a quarter to get deals on bulk items, and I enjoy going out to eat (Jalapeno’s at the end of the quarter is a nice treat). I also have a carnivorous diet, eating at least one meal with meat or dairy a day.

The electricity I use to heat my apartment (<1000 sq. ft.) is minimal. I usually keep the heater in my living room on under 60 degrees (it’s actually really cold, but I love blankets), and only turn on the heaters in the bedrooms when I’m using them, with the doors closed to keep the heat in. Appliances in the kitchen are unplugged until they’re used (microwave, toaster oven, espresso machine, and toaster). Since moving to Bellingham, I have driven very little. I walk to school daily, and only really drive to get groceries and out to eat. The most I’ve driven is back down to Everett maybe 4 times to visit family. This has resulted in very low mileage currently.

                

The housing footprint was lower than I thought would be, as I live in an apartment building that seems it was built in the 70s. The complex has over 20 units, none of them have water saving features, and I’m doubting the buildings are made of efficient products. As for my water saving habits, I think I’ve only washed my car once, and only do laundry when there’s a full load to run.

                

My goods and services footprint being low might be a product of my limited funds (that’s putting it lightly). I live within my means most of the time, but I’m really stingy right now trying to save as much as possible for after graduation. I also don’t replace most things until I truly need to. This category is also low because I throw everything I can into recycling, leaving me with less than a bag of garbage a week.

Actions to take:

         1)  The first action I plan to take is to start buying more organic and sustainable foods. I usually don’t do this because it’s more expensive, but I can start by purchasing more organic produce.

      2)   I turn off my TV power strip, but I don’t do it to the computer one, and that will be my 2^nd step. I will work towards turning this off at least 2 nights a week.

      3)    Finally, I’m going to try to eat less meat and dairy products, starting with having one meal without meat a week. This will help with my health as well as the Earth’s. And hey, I love pb&js.

I look forward to making these changes in my life and seeing the results at the end of the quarter.